Discharge Drivers
Free Stable Patients from the Hospital (Europe)

Happy and Healthy at Home

Discharge drivers allow stable patients with a SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart to enjoy a quality lifestyle at home and in their communities while they wait for a matching donor heart for transplant. Patients who are discharged can enjoy everyday activities such as shopping, gardening, going on vacation, visiting relatives, attending sporting events and dining at restaurants.

Discharge is especially critical in Europe because Total Artificial Heart patients can wait up to 2 years for a matching donor heart.

Freedom® Driver System

The Freedom® driver system has received the CE Mark for use in Europe. Weighing only 13.5 lbs including the power adaptor and two rechargeable lithium ion batteries, the small and wearable Freedom driver provides a quality lifestyle for stable Total Artificial Heart patients in Europe.

*CAUTION – The Freedom driver system is an investigational device, limited by United States law to investigational use. 

"Proof of Concept" Portable Driver

From 2003-2006, the Heart & Diabetes Center NRW in  Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, pioneered the clinical study of the “proof of concept” portable driver for powering the Total Artificial Heart. This driver received the CE Mark for use in Europe on
July 14, 2006.

Today, this portable driver accounts for more than 50 patient years of life on the Total Artificial Heart. SynCardia’s experience with this driver demonstrated that stable Total Artificial Heart patients can and do thrive outside the hospital.

The Freedom driver system* and the 70cc SynCardia Total Artificial Heart

Using the European portable driver, Total Artificial Heart patient Joachim Heumann enjoyed 257 days of life at home in Germany before receiving his matching donor heart.